Aphonic Whispers
by Something Obscure
Summary: [AU Cloud x Vincent: slash warning!] Cloud Strife was a man with a dream. He intended to become a doctor's assistant to help those who were suffering. Falling in love...well, that wasn't necessarily a part of the dream..
1. Chapter 1

_Jaffa_: Galenchia has dragged me from the awful slump I have been in –Huggles.- and offered to take pity on my soul and co-write this with me.

_Galenchia_: ;3 We started writing our AU story together! Yippee! This is the first chapter, which we worked on for….approximately a week, right, Jaffers? xD

_Jaffa_: Yup-yup, cause Galenchia dragged me by the hair to sit at this computer until I had wriggled out of my slump.

_Galenchia_: -Pats Jaffa's bald spot.- She speaks the truth! So, now, by the combined power of Jaffa and I, we present…..

_Jaffa_: -Squeals with excitement.- CUCUMBER ICE CREAM!

_Galenchia_: …Ew. No, Jaffa, the OTHER thing! Enjoy.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Fanfiction basis: Final Fantasy VII

Rating: T (for teen) ------------------------- Genre: Romance/Angst

Pairing(s): Vincent/Cloud ------------------- Type: AU

Warning(s): AU, possible language and yaoi content…..Jaffa wrote part of this, what the hell do you expect? –Snickers.-

Disclaimer: _Galenchia_: Jaffa, did you buy the rights to FFVII yet?

_Jaffa_: …Er…um…yeah. Of course, I didn't forget!

_Galenchia_: Aw. We don't own it, do we?

_Jaffa_: -Puppy dog eyes.-

Neither Galenchia nor Jaffa own or claim to own any logos, characters, or plots of Final Fantasy VII. We suppose we own the plot of this story, though. Consolation prize. Whoo.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Chapter One: Accidents and Abominations**

Vincent Valentine wasn't sure why, in the end, he had taken this job. The rumors and controversies surrounding the Shinra Labs were enough to scare off anyone from accepting a career at the establishment, even if it was the best paying security job around. The halls he now patrolled were the same halls where people claimed chimeras and other abominations were created. These rumors seemed to be nothing but myths, though; in his third week at the job, the raven-haired man had yet to see anything abnormal...Aside from one abnormally beautiful woman perhaps, though she was more than likely a visiting angel. He'd seen only overly rich patients looking for cures for diseases, and he'd seen people with nothing but hope that this place could heal them.

That sparked at his memory; the woman was indeed the fact he had taken the job after hesitation. He still wasn't sure who she was, or whether she worked here, but the way her beautiful honey brown eyes met his and the shock he'd felt as her smooth hand had shaken his own...He'd fallen so fast that by the time he'd surfaced she was gone and he had the job.

With a sigh, Vincent returned to his patrolling. The corridor was silent, like always. The operating areas were all closed off to unauthorized personnel or open only for emergencies. Realistically, he didn't see what he was supposed to be protecting the labs against. So far he'd escorted all of two or three people off the premises, and that was due to protesting. No one had made any real threats against the workers, and there had not been any attacks.

Just as that thought brushed across his mind he heard a door swing open roughly, slamming back against the nearest wall. Vincent heard a bark of an implied order from the head doctor, Professor Hojo, in the adjacent room: "Security!" There was a ruckus of noise, as the sound of shattering glass echoed into the hallway while Vincent darted in without a blink of crimson eyes. One hand moved to the gun at his belt instinctively.

He was met with the sight of an enraged professor, and what appeared to be a young girl, likely still in her teens. Movement in his peripheral vision caused him to turn his head, catching sight of...that woman. That was not the primary concern, however; he quickly looked back over to the girl, who was knocking test tubes from the stainless steel counters while hopping up and down.

Hm...well, Vincent reasoned to himself, this wasn't the usual type of disturbance he'd dealt with. He took a tentative step forward. The girl suddenly noticed him and with a look somewhere between determination and pride, shoved over an entire rack of test tubes. She leapt back, thrashing at more tubes along the shelves while either ignoring or not noticing that they shattered very near to her own two feet.

"Shoot her, dammit! She's breaking months' worth of experiments!" Hojo barked angrily. The girl laughed at his words.

Vincent frowned. This girl seemed far too young to be dealing with something so hazardous to her criminal record, not to mention her life. Sighing under his breath, he approached her as she laughed maniacally while destroying whatever was in sight, bouncing out of the irrationally angry doctor's reach. The security guard silently noted that there was no need for real force against this girl. With a flash, he had a grip on her wrist, glancing at her surprised expression through the one eye that hadn't been covered by dark strands of his hair at the sudden movement.

"Hey, hey!" she shouted, shaking his arm with less than malicious intent.

Hojo seemed upset somewhat at the lack of death but Vincent's movements were unarguably within reason and probably easier in the long run. The girl was still making sounds of protest at his firm but practically painless grip. She twisted and squirmed in an attempt to get free, finally resorting to kicking his ankles with a small frustrated noise.

"Please come this way," Vincent requested of the girl in a calmer manner than one would expect in such a position. In all honesty, though he fit the physical requirements, the man appeared more on the side of silent opposition rather than brute force.

With a scowl, Professor Hojo beckoned to Lucrecia as they began to clean the mess spread throughout the primary lab. The brunette woman had been standing quietly by, as of yet, but now proceeded forward with a smile and donned a pair of plastic gloves as they swept the rather conspicuous disarray of reports, broken glass, and swirling liquids.

----

Now leading the girl away from the laboratory, despite yelling protests from the young woman in question, Vincent had to admit that she was nothing if not persistent. And, in a way that only fit her unusual type of character, quite bold.

"You think you can do this to me! Well, you can't, mister! I'm a widely renowned ninja, you know!" she insisted, though was now trotting along in the man's immediate front with an arm held by him cautiously behind her back.

Vincent let her rant, listening vaguely as he prompted her along through the halls. At the very least, this gave him something to do. Easy work was great and all, but oh-so-monotonous. She seemed even younger now than she did before, which made him slightly more concerned about Hojo's premeditated order. Did he really expect the security guard to shoot the girl?

Vincent's mind wandered a little further and he began to ponder what the brunette woman -the one his mind had strayed to since their first meeting- would have expected. It appeared now that she was a scientist, as she'd been clad in a lab coat and had permission to access the private lab of Professor Hojo. Abruptly, he stopped, glancing at the door before them over the girl's shorter head. "There you are," he stated, opening it for her, "Do I have to take you entirely out of the area, or will you go by yourself?" He glanced to her without amusement, merely questioning out of duty.

The self-proclaimed ninja blinked at him, before tugging back her arm and putting it behind her head. "Aw, well I guess I did enough damage for today! Bye!" she exclaimed, briskly running off into the mainstream of the city without another backward glance.

Vincent found himself giving the lightest hint of a smile. That had been quite simple. He turned after closing the door, intending to report back to Professor Hojo.

----

His feet carried him forward, letting him have a moment's reprieve before he had to face the obviously angry Professor; although this didn't cause him to hesitate. Surely the irate man was just a bag of steam. The lab was still a mess but Hojo was out of sight, leaving only the woman still there. When she spoke, he lightly startled, and turned to face her quickly.

"We haven't been properly introduced yet," she admitted with a kind smile, "My name is Dr. Lucrecia Hojo. It's nice to meet you."

Vincent took the offered hand it took it firmly, unconsciously admiring the smooth texture before they parted. 'Wait,' his mind started, 'Hojo?' Vincent nodded calmly to her. "You're married to the Professor?" he asked before catching himself.

"Yes," she agreed, still smiling in warmth, "That's right."

Another entrance was made known shortly, with the grudgingly suspicious manner of Hojo, himself. Vincent straightened his spine as the man entered the room with a scowl in place that seemed like a near permanent fixture on his face.

"Is that girl out of my lab now?" Hojo questioned the security guard. Vincent's response was a neat nod. "Good," the professor concluded, shooting the other man an irritated glance after a moment. "That will be all. You can leave now, as we have important work to do." He turned and hunched his shoulders as he studied some of the previously dispersed papers. "Lucrecia?" he called, "Come look over this."

Vincent strode from the lab without reply, ignoring the scornful disposition Hojo was apt to provide in his presence. It was of no concern to him. Shutting the windowless door behind him with a click, he stepped down the hallway. The encased length of the corridor seemed to exonerate a subtle, forewarning aura; this seemed out of place as it was so brightly lit. Doubtlessly it was related to that doctor's presence, as he emitted the same ominous sense of distrust as, generally, did the entire confidentiality of the Shinra corporation…

Some people were simply like that, Vincent acknowledged stiffly. He shook his head, attempting to clear his mind of all thoughts relating to the entire incident. He moved onward, finally attempting to continue his patrol despite the warning tingle that still lingered in the back of his mind.

The crimson-eyed man's attention was abruptly caught as the echoes of a scream reverberated through the building, ricocheting to his very core. He spun around faster than he'd realized he was capable of moving, and launched himself in a return to the lab. The doors to the room were thrown aside as smoke erupted from its previous containment, obscuring Vincent's sight. Lucrecia had retreated to the farthest wall of the room, coughing gases from her lungs as though her sanity depended upon it.

Vincent blinked as the fumes made his eyes begin to water, but proceeded in an attempt to help. He was torn between rushing to Lucrecia to help her escape and stopping the gas where it was leaking; the guard had no idea where the lab's other occupant was at the moment. He was distracted, however, by the woman's hand shakily pointing further into the normally clear lab.

He darted forward, unsure of what he should expect to see when he was close enough to discern things through the dense artificial fog. Finally, Vincent blinked to cause the blurring of his eyes to subside, and distinguished the professor's slumping form against the steel countertop. Spilled chemicals sizzled under his shoes, and he immediately stepped to the side out of reflex.

_Alright_, Vincent decided, instilling his calm mien into the air about him, _I'll simply take Lucrecia and Professor Hojo out of here, and ask some of the adjacent-lab scientists what we can do to remedy the situation_. With this new found resolution, Vincent began to approach the older man. But a hissing sound interrupted his course of action, and he jumped back as another burst of color erupted around him from an exploding container of fluid that had been ignited by a reaction from acting as a solute to its surroundings. A louder piercing blast hit him, and Vincent distantly heard himself grunt as he fell to the pitiless tile floor.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

_Galenchia_: ...There. The first chapter is alive. Oh yes. Since Jaffa and I have already started working on the second chapter (it's about 1/3 of the way completed) it should be up shortly. In it, we'll be meeting Cloud! Hoo-rah.

_Jaffa_: Yay for Cloud! -Dances.-

_Galenchia_: Until next time, then. ;D


	2. Chapter 2

_Jaffa_: I feel special. We have finished the second chapter, people. All thanks to the inspiring little co-author Galenchia.

_Galenchia_: -Giggles.- Aw. It's a group effort. Although we've had trouble getting in contact with each other since school has started, Jaffa and I perservered! –Pumps fist victoriously.- :3

_Jaffa_: -Dances.- We will struggle through to bring this Strifentine to the Reviewers! And ummm, the people who don't review, too, I guess. xD

_Galenchia_: So without further ado, we present chapter two! –Snickers.-

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Fanfiction basis: Final Fantasy VII

Rating: T (for teen) ------------------------- Genre: Romance/Angst

Pairing(s): Vincent/Cloud ------------------- Type: AU

Warning(s): AU, blood, possible language and yaoi content.

Disclaimer: Neither of us own, nor claim to own Final Fantasy VII.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Chapter 2: Medical Exasperations**

"Strife," a voice, gruff with frustration addressed, "Bring me the syringe, 30 CCs of morphine." The speaker turned back to the sobbing woman lying on the table, relatively young, as it would seem, with an incision in her abdomen that bled profusely as the nurses and doctors in white face masks and caps readied a needle to stitch the wound.

One particular young man -dressed in a white lab coat that its wearer had neglected to button, revealing a blue scrub shirt beneath- was broken from his apparent trance and leapt suddenly, finally tearing his gaze from the pained expression on the patient's face. It shouldn't have affected him anymore, not after two years of experience as a doctor's assistant. It shouldn't have...but it did.

After fumbling around a bit for the designated item, the man returned to the bed, attempting to be silent and inconspicuous. This proved to be a lost cause, for Cloud was not the most inconspicuous of people: The young man's fair face held nearly dissipating signs of boyhood, but lacked any mars or wrinkles of age, causing him to appear around twenty-one years old. Unruly blonde spikes of hair protruded from beneath his mandatory surgical cap; and his far most noticeable trait was a pair of stunningly blue eyes, which remained calm in such a heated situation.

With an ungrateful scowl, the doctor who'd requested his aid grasped the syringe and took it from the blonde's gloved hand. The elder man's nametag shone under the reflection of a bright lamp light suspended over their heads: "Dr. Gerald Fazae" was what it read. He returned to his work without a second glance at his assistant Cloud, shoving his wide-rimmed glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

Cloud ignored this gesture. He had been reassigned to the Kalm Regional Hospital under the mentorship of Dr. Fazae approximately six days ago. Cloud internally frowned in disdain: It had been less than a week and the doctor already had him at his wit's end. The hospital was not anymore hospitable than Dr. Fazae himself. The gray, bulb-lit hallways were crude and unwelcoming. Cloud was grateful he'd never acquired such a serious injury as to need to attend this place as a child, rather visiting a medical center in his home town of Nibelheim; he had a feeling that, as a child, Kalm Regional could cause more anguish than one's initial injury.

The blue-eyed man sarcastically noted that he was increasingly optimistic this week.

After cleaning up the medical area from surgery with a few of the other aides, Cloud returned to his locker, removing his lab coat and hanging it on a hook for safe-keeping during his lunch break.

He stepped through the heavy metal doors that lead outside, blinking in adjustment to the sharp difference in light as he inhaled the fresh quality of the air. The city bustled passed in the immediate distance, oblivious to the hours of blood and gizzards he endured in the name of science. He almost scowled at his thought patterns. It wasn't as if he was forced to being here; and it wasn't as if they forced him to stay. His pride did that, providing the blunt determination that people often saw.

It would be that determination that one day propelled him to success. Cloud knew that there would come a time when his name was embossed in gold on the door plaque, that he would be giving the orders (albeit more kindly) to new assistants, and that he would be saving lives. He would succeed: Because, after all, you can't truly fail a dream without being a failure yourself, correct? And Cloud was sure that he was no failure.

The streets of Kalm were as normal as any other town Cloud had worked in, the stores all lined up the same and each looked as neat as the one before it. He blinked in surprise at the shop before him, an exception to this thought. Rainbow colored wood and a hand-painted sign reading 'We now sell food' made the blond step into the cafe with interest and a possible source of lunch before returning to his monotonous job.

The interior had a quaint feel to it, possessing an old-fashioned scenario. The man was grateful for the obvious amount of vacancies; he'd never much been one for the crowd aspect. He took a seat near the tranquil window, glancing over the menu. A hand fell to his pocket quickly to assess the amount he could spend. Cloud supposed 190 gil was enough for a decent lunch. It would be his safest bet to hurry; Dr. Fazae seemed simply cheerful when he had a chance to reprimand Cloud before other members of the staff. The assistant had to admit, he'd not yet truly discovered the foundation for the doctor's dislike.

Again distracted by his roving thoughts, it took Cloud an embarrassingly long moment to realize he wasn't alone. He jerked his head to one side in surprise.

'And people say my hair looks like a bird,' Cloud thought immediately, then glanced further down to the man's amused eyes.

"What can I get you?" he asked in a tone that truly rivaled the definition of 'chipper.'

Cloud's own eyes searched for a name badge: 'Zack,' it read. "I'll just have a garden salad, thanks," he responded after spending a moment of contemplation.

"Alright," the man responded with a shrug. He blinked as he bent down to inspect the security card hanging from Cloud's neck; it was used by employees to enter the back entrance of the hospital without having to struggle through the crowded lobby. "Ohhh," Zack stated knowingly, standing back up to attention with a grin that caused Cloud to wonder what joke he'd missed, "You work at the hospital, huh? We get a lot of customers from over there." He nodded as if reaffirming his own statement.

The blond allowed himself a slight smile at the platonic chatter, nodding.

"So it must be pretty interesting over there," Zack decided, as though speaking to himself.

Cloud shrugged in response to this. "Actually, it's rather…repetitive, I guess. I mean, the cases we deal with and all are different, but the people are all the same –and they're the real reason I'm there. I don't have the opportunity to speak to them much. I don't know if they want someone to sympathize with them, or simply talk to them for a bit. Even when I do have the chance to visit, patients usually aren't interested in talking very much."

The cheerful waiter frowned at this, sighing lightly. "Well, I'm sure they appreciate it, whether they let you know or not!"

Cloud smiled slightly at the man's statement. "I'll be right back." Zack promised and stalked off, most likely to give the chef the order. Sure enough, he quickly returned with a salad, easily sliding into the seat across from the blond while setting the plate before him. "So, what is it that you do? A little young to be a doctor, it seems." The waiter smirked loosely, lounging back. Cloud shrugged.

"I'm just an assistant right now," he explained, lifting a forkful of greenery to his mouth before hesitating.

Zack blinked at him, before coming to the realization of his actions. "Oh, don't worry about me. I just ate." He waved a hand to dismiss the impolite worry.

Cloud nodded slightly and proceeded to eat in silence for a moment before Zack spoke up again, seemingly unable to keep quite. "Assistant, eh? So you're just a rookie, then!"

Cloud hesitated, then nodded. "Guess I am. It seems I have a long way to go yet," he confessed. Zack grinned. "Ah well, we all start off somewhere I suppose." Cloud had to smile before glancing down at his watch. "Damn," he hissed. Zack stood with him. "I have to go," the blond apologized, gesturing to his watch in signal of the time.

"That's alright," Zack confessed with a smirk, "You'll be back tomorrow, right, Spike?" Cloud raised an eyebrow at the nickname but inclined his head in assent. "Good!" The waiter grinned, slapping him on the shoulder amicably. "I'll see you then."

--

Shuffling in return to the locker room, the young assistant replaced his white coat, buttoning it furiously and hurrying down the hall. He was a bit later than he'd intended; this was likely yet another opportunity for Dr. Fazae to reprimand him. As though he'd been summoned, the doctor was standing in the middle of the hall, speaking with a few nurses. They all turned to glance toward the boy who was scurrying along, a few shaking their heads disapprovingly.

"Nice timing, Strife," the doctor scowled at him, "What if we had needed you?"

Cloud opened his mouth grudgingly to respond while keeping his temper in check, but was cut off by the bustle of movement approaching the group quickly.

The young doctor at the head of the commotion glanced up to the assembly, pushing a hospital bed gingerly before him. "Dr. Fazae, we need a surgery, now," his voice was strong with dire emergency. A few assistants were checking the patient's blood pressure and such while in motion, apparently mortified by the extent of the damage.

"What's the damage?" Fazae asked, swiftly striding over to the bed and glancing over the forms handed to him. Cloud moved up to stand beside the doctors, looking down as the bed was wheeled forward into the room. "The damage is severe. The main objective is to keep him alive, and even that will be difficult…" Fazae thought aloud as he scanned the forms. There was blood everywhere, it soaked through cloth and splattered across a pale face.

Cloud couldn't tear his gaze from the crimson droplets pooling onto the starch white linen. One hand, the right, was clenched in the fabric, while the other lay motionless against the man's chest. It was far too drenched with blood to assess the damage, and had been wrapped in a crimson-soaked cloth.

Vaguely, as he darted about grabbing instruments for the surgeons who had already begun their work, Cloud heard a conversation behind him; the young doctor who had pushed the bed into the ER quietly resolved the curiosities of a spare nurse.

"I don't know most of the details, Lily," he spoke quietly, as though his very voice would shatter the bloody man's life, "A security guard over at Shinra labs brought him a few minutes ago; he's in awful shape. Apparently there was an accident, and one of the scientists there attempted to patch him up…but it was no use, so they thought we might be able to do something."

Cloud was soon too busy to hear the conversation, though, as Fazae suddenly began shouting orders and Cloud found himself suited for the medical front line along with whatever nurses, aides and other surgeons Fazae ordered about in an attempt to save. Cloud wasn't given time to think or worry, he only had enough time to listen for the call of "swab," "suction," or "stitch."

This was most likely to his own benefit. He didn't want to think of the flesh that was being sliced and sown as human, really. It was a bitter feeling. Cloth was cut away to get at hidden wounds and acid burns and the smell of burnt flesh was a new and disconcerting experience.

A startled conjoined gasp escaped from several of the surgeons at the revelation of a hastily amputated hand, formerly covered by a cloth; it would seem the scientist had nothing within easy access to replace the appendage with, but…The sight still struck a horror in their minds: the sight of a metal, claw-like hand attached to nerve and flesh. Cloud noticed it as well when he returned with additional wrappings as makeshift bandages, and cringed visibly. If anything, it caused their patient to seem less of a human, and more of a mutilated corpse.

But the blond dealt with it. He dealt with it because it was his duty; because he wanted to save a life. No one was sure if that would happen or not.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

_Galenchia_: We hope you enjoyed chapter two. Keep your eyes open for chapter three, dammit! ;D


	3. Temporary Author's Note

Galenchia: Ugh. No, this isn't quite an update as far as the story, but it is an update as to what's been going on. Jaffa is having some computer issues and going through a move right now, or so I understand, so she has limited computer access. I've decided to wait for her to complete chapter 3, since it just wouldn't be the same if I didn't. D: But the chapter was already about halfway done before Jaffa had to depart for a bit, so it shouldn't take long for us to release it once she's back. She tells me that she may be able to return by next week. n.n We'll just hope for the best. Thank you for sticking around, and we'll try our very hardest to update soon!


End file.
